The Mighty Mississippi

The Mississippi River is the chief river of the largest drainage system on the North American continent flowing 2,320 miles to the Mississippi delta at the Gulf of Mexico. The Mighty Mississippi is the fourth longest and tenth largest river in the world. The Mississippi River either borders or passes through ten states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

This image was taken on the Mississippi river bank in  St. Louis, Missouri where people still gather to fish daily. Across the Mississippi is East St. Louis located in Illinois.

My Your Our Water

Going In and Coming Out

My Your Our Water enjoyed being a part of the Grand Rapids, Michigan community. We enjoyed hearing your stories about rivers, lakes, fishing and snow, lots of snow. Thanks for coming out to help us get in and out of the river.

My Your Our Water

Will and Brendan

These to friends were crossing the 6th Street Bridge and stopped to chat about the 45ft illuminated sign floating in the river. The assumed correctly that there was a connection between the sign and the trike. Thanks for the conversation, enthusiasm and love of water.

My Your Our Water

Local Views

The Grand River  flows through the heart of Grand Rapids. There are numerous bridges  designed for cars and pedestrians to traverse this water artery. These images were submitted from the riverfront and from off the 6th Street Bridge by a local in Grand Rapids. There appears to have been a good deal of wind that day !

This image was shared by Kyle C in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Building Bridges

This image was taken from a walking bridge in Poughkeepsie, New York. This boat is moving down the Hudson with parts for the Tappan Zee replacement bridge. The first Tappan Zee bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Hudson River at one of its widest points. Unlike most bridges, the Tappan Zee was designed in 1950 to only last approximately 50 years because of a material shortage due to the Korean War. The new replacement bridge is being built with a 100 year life expectancy and is expected to be completed by 2018.

This image was submitted by Kathleen W from Poughkeepsie, New York.

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Michiganander Jones

Some of you are familiar with Indiana Jones, well meet the creator of Michigander Jones, the superhero protector of Michigan waters. Patrick B, is an artist, cartoonist, and environmental activist who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When not busy creating heroing adventures for the crusading Michigander Jones, Patrick is doing his part by cleaning up along the Grand River and participating in climate marches.

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Surfing in Michigan? 

Yes, you read that correctly. It is possible to surf  in Michigan. In fact there appears to be a unique to Lake Michigan surf culture. The conditions to surf on the Great Lakes are not consistent but occur mostly during October and November when storm systems get stronger bringing in high winds this is often referred to as the November Witch. The north to northwest wind  is considered the surfing wind on Lake Michigan increasing wave size upwards of 9ft.  For anyone thinking that lake surfing is not real surfing, think about surfing water with temps between 32-41 degrees, waves with shorter sets produced by a storm with ice chunks floating on the waves.

This video was shared by Kelly in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Cool like Fonzee

As fall tries to take center stage, summer often reappears for a brief encore performance.

" I made my own swamp cooler to stay cool. Like the Fonz." 

This image was submitted by Frank M. in San Jose, CA.

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Fisherman 

It's hard pressed to find someone who loves a clean river more than an ardent fisherman.
Aaron K. fishes on the rivers and lakes of regardless of the season, and he has the gear, the boat and the photos to prove it. Aaron loaned his boat to the Mayors' Grand River Cleanup, hauling garbage out of the Grand River. He has participated yearly in this project and has happily noticed less large trash in the water. My Your Our Water would like to thank Aaron not only for his dedication to maintaining a clean river but for his assistance in placing the MYOW sign in the Grand River.

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Great Falls

    Great Falls National Park is located in McLean, Virginia, just a short distance outside of Washington DC.  It is at Great Falls that the Potomac River builds up great speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. At this point the river has such natural power that it is not a place for swimming, boating or any form of water recreation. 
     The history of this river is long and complicated as the river itself. It 1785 construction of a canal on the Potomac was started. The most demanding of engineering feats was the construction of a series of 5 locks that raised and lowered boats around the Great Falls. Thousands of boats locked through at the Great Falls carrying all forms of commerce upstream and downstream: whiskey, tobacco, iron, cloth, and firearms to name a few.
The cost of building the canal and maintaining proved too much for the Patowmack Company and they went bankrupt. The new owners, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company abandoned the canal in 1830. In 1930 US congress authorized Great Falls as a park and in 1936 the National Park Service took over responsibility for its' management.

This image was sent by the 4th grade class at St. Louis Catholic School in Virginia.

My Your Our Water